Our findings show that zinc supplementation can resolve permeability alterations in patients with Crohn's disease in remission. Improving intestinal barrier function may contribute to reduce the risk of relapse in Crohn's disease.

No abstract

The present study is a survey of psychotropic drug use patterns among 1860 patients admitted to Padova General Hospital in North-East Italy. Our results show that 23% of the patients took psychotropic drugs for almost their entire stay in hospital. The drugs most commonly used are anxiolytics and hypnotics, both of the benzodiazepine class. The use of barbiturates as hypnotics has almost disappeared. Some significant correlations between the use of psychotropic drugs and socio-demographic factors were also found. Women, widows and widowers, retired and elderly persons seem to be at higher risk in the use of psychotropic drugs. The meaning and implications of these results are discussed.

This study is a survery of psychotropic drug use patterns among 934 elderly patients admitted to the Padua Geriatric Hospital. 34% of the patients took psychotropic drugs during their stay in hospital. The drugs most commonly used are anxiolytics and hypnotics of the benzodiazepine class. Women subjects living alone, and to a lesser extent those suffering from particular disorders, as of the central nervous system and the musculoskeletal apparatus, seem to be at higher risk in the use of psychotropic drugs. Moreover, the results show that psychotropic drugs are prescribed during the stay in hospital and even on discharge to a high percentage of subjects who did not use such drugs before admission to the hospital.

No abstract